Universities must act “swiftly and firmly” to tackle antisemitism and protect Jewish students after a spike in incidents on campuses, a charity has said.
The Community Security Trust (CST), which protects British Jews from antisemitism and related threats, recorded 36 antisemitic incidents related to UK universities between October 7 and 16.
In comparison, the CST logged 17 university-related incidents in the first six months of this year.
The rise in antisemitic incidents related to universities has emerged following Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7 and the subsequent military retaliation.
The Union of Jewish Students (UJS) has received more than 100 calls to a welfare hotline set up last week for students to report concerns and incidents.
Universities need to provide Jewish students with the support and protection that they need and deserve and crack down on this anti-Jewish hatred swiftly and firmly— Dave Rich, director of policy at the CST
The CST said it has co-ordinated security for various Jewish events on campuses and the group has arranged a police presence where necessary.
Dave Rich, director of policy at the CST, told the PA news agency: “Yet again we see a spike in anti-Jewish hate incidents amongst people who are supposed to be the most educated in our society.
“It is accompanied by a wave of student support for Hamas’s so-called ‘Resistance’, which took the form of an antisemitic pogrom.
“Universities need to provide Jewish students with the support and protection that they need and deserve and crack down on this anti-Jewish hatred swiftly and firmly.”
The UJS has written to vice-chancellors demanding a zero-tolerance approach towards the support for Hamas on their campuses.
Any discrimination or intimidation against students or staff resulting from the attacks in Israel is absolutely unacceptable— Universities UK spokesperson
A UJS spokesperson said: “We have seen a number of incidents on campus including posters calling for ‘intifada until victory’, Students’ Union officers supporting the terrorist activities of Hamas on Twitter, academics tweeting celebration of the murder of 1,000 Israelis and protests on campuses claiming that the horrors committed are ‘lies’ fabricated by Israel.
“These incidents are disgusting and incomprehensible. As we learn more each day of the true horrors that took place during October 7’s massacre, those making these comments should hang their heads further in shame and disgrace.
“Jewish students on those campuses deserve an educational environment free from this vitriol. UJS are always here for students in need of support.”
Last week, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan and universities minister Robert Halfon wrote to vice-chancellors to demand that they “act quickly” against any threats to Jewish students’ safety and welfare.
A Universities UK spokesperson said: “Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organisation and signalling support, including moral support or expressing an opinion or belief that is supportive, is a criminal offence, as outlined in the Terrorism Act (2000).
“Any student or staff member found to be supporting Hamas will be in breach of UK law and universities treat this with the utmost seriousness.
“Any discrimination or intimidation against students or staff resulting from the attacks in Israel is absolutely unacceptable and we urge any students facing antisemitism or harassment or discrimination of any kind to inform their university and seek support.”
